Musing – Come join me on the bridge

Hebraic Musing – Come join me on the bridge

Here is an excerpt from the Foreword in my book – Hebraic Insights - Messages Exploring
the Hebrew Roots of Christian Faith.   “I find myself in a ‘bridge’ position in my faith walk. Jews traditionally have difficulty with Christians, and sometimes even more so with Messianics. Many traditional Christian fellowships are not comfortable with Jewish teachings and especially their emphasis on the Old Testament. Some Christians even think that the Old Testament no longer applies. So I find myself on the ‘bridge’ between the two groups; and I encourage both Jews and Christians to join me on the bridge.”

Since my challenge is in getting each side to respect, acknowledge and learn from the other, recent comments in an e-mail from Derek Leman were of special interest. He cited 10 brief statements that point out key misunderstandings on either side of the symbolic bridge.  These points deal with Jesus in Jewish perspective, Torah and Judaism, Jew and Gentile in Messiah, and Yeshua as Messiah. Derek went on to say that these are “Things Messianics would like to say to our Christian friends and fellow Jews.”  In my word-picture, these are things needing clarification on either side of the ‘bridge’:

1.       Gentile inclusion doesn’t mean Jewish exclusion.  (Or, when the Roman Empire pirated Christianity from its Hebrew roots, the Jews of the early church were rejected, etc.)

2.       In Galatians, Paul had to preach against Judaizing – Gentiles being required to convert to Judaism. But ‘Reverse Galatianism’ is an equally false gospel – that Jews must become non-Jews in order to be in Messiah.

3.       The “new” adds to the “old” without erasing what came before.

4.       Torah is not the failed plan of God, but the seed from which came Yeshua.  In the beginning was the Word (Torah), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  NIV John 1:1-2  

5.       Yeshua is not God’s second plan. It was His intention from the beginning to manifest all things in Messiah.

6.       The power of Christianity was diminished early in church history by the de-Judaizing of Jesus. Thus, Christianity will be repaired by returning to a Jesus as understood in Jewish context.

7.       The modern movement of Jews following Jesus as Jews (Jews acknowledging Yeshua as their Messiah) is a hopeful sign that the age to come is nearing, or the end of the current age is upon us.

8.       The increasing love that many non-Jews have in recent times for Jews and Judaism (growth in defenders contrasted with growing anti-Semitism) is a sign that the end of the current age is upon us.

9.       The Jewish world has not properly heard of Yeshua from the Church or its missions to the Jewish people, but Messianic Judaism is coming to a clear common ground about the meaning of Yeshua from within Judaism.

What think you?  I would like to hear your reactions, questions and comments on these points. A dialog would be welcome, I will respond to your reply.

Point to ponder

Do you recognize a need to join me on the bridge?

Shalom

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd

Author “Hebraic Insights – 95 messages exploring the Hebrew Roots of Christian faith”

Author “Biblical Marriage” (to be published in June 2012)

Weekly e-mails “Hebraic Musings”  to be added to distribution -- Yosef1@cox.net
www.InsightsByYosef.com